Dyeing machine



y 3, 1932- J. MACADAM, JR 1,857,111

DYEING MACHINE F iled Dec. 19, 192"! 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 2 I w 52 52 59 59 A 0 51; 32 29 h c: We

WITNESSES IN VEN TOR:

, @diwj WW y 1932- J. MACADAM, JR 1,857,111

DYEING .MACHI NE Filed Dec. 19, 1927 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 19 I 62 I 26 a; 57 27 WITNESSES INVEN TOR:

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ATTORNEYS.

Patented May 3,. 1932 UNITED STATES "PATENT OFFICE JOHN IACADAM, 33., OF CRAGMERE, .DELAWARE, ASSIGNOR TO JOSEPH BANOBOI'I & SONS (70., OF WILMINGTON, DELAWARE, A CORPORATION OF DELAWABE Applicatioufll ed December 19, 1927. Serial 1T0. 241,004.

My invention relates to dyeing machines or apparatus, and the like, my aim being to imw prove the operation andconstruction of such apparatus in various ways, which will appear from the description hereinafter of a selected and preferred embodiment. The invention is highly advantageous in-atype of apparatus wherein one or more dyeing rolls is traversed b the material treated, and there is a substantial difference in speed between the roll surface and the material, resulting in agitation or movement of the dye liquor so as to promote penetration of the material thereby. However, the invention is not in all respects limited to apparatus involving such speed differential features.

In the drawings, Fig. I is a plafi view of a dyeing machine embodying my invention, certain exterior portions being broken out to expose those within.

Fig. II is a side view, partly in elevation and partly in vertical section; and,

Fig. III shows a vertical section at right angles thereto taken as indicated by the line and arrows IIIIII on Fig. II.

As shown, the machine comprises a vessel for the dye or liquor L, and a series of rolls -21, traversed by the material M that is being treated, which may be cloth, yarn, or other practically continuous material. As shown in Fig. II, the'material M zig-zags under and over, under and over the successive rolls 15-21, in alternation, and the liquor L acts on (and penetrates) said material from opposite sides alternately. The material M may be guided into the apparatus by passing around an idle guide roll 14, whence it descends to the first roll 15 of the series 15-21 in the vessel 10, and it may be drawn through the apparatus by a pair of nip-rolls 28, to which it ascends from the last roll 21 of said series. The nip rolls 28, may be driven at a proper speed for the material M by any suitable means, such as a belt 29, Fig. I.

It is preferable that some of the rolls 15-21 at least, be driven at a different rate of speed from the material M, so that there will be a speed differential between their surfaces and said material. Rolls 15-21 thus driven at suitable speed not only produce a general turbulence and agitation ofthe dye liquor L, but tend (by their surface friction with the liquor) to create more or less definite currents of said liquor against andthrough the material M. Indeed, the roll surface car'- ries a seemingly adherent moving film of liquor that generally prevents the material M from actually coming in contact with the roll. As shown in Fig. I, four of the intermediate rolls 16, 17, 18 and 19 are driven, while the other rolls 15, 20 and 21 are idle or inactive guide rolls for changing the direction of the material M. The pressure of the liquor L against the material M produced by the active dyeing rolls 16-19 and the thoroughness and rapidity of penetration of said material by the liquor L depend on the speed difference between the roll surfaces and material M, as well as on theabsolute speed of the rolls themselves. Preferably, the rolls 16-19 should be driven in a direction opposite to the movement of the material M past them, both in order togive as high a speed differential as possible, and because rolls revolving with the material M would either tend to pull the material through more rapidly than the nip rolls 28 could take it up, or else they must'have a surface speed less than that of the material M, and insufficient to produce the desired action of the dye liquor L on said material. For most kinds of cloth, a speed of -40 yards per minute for the cloth and a speed of 1500-1600 feet per min- 'ute for the active dyeing roll surfaces represent good practice. -Too hugh a speed for the material M results in destruction of the liquor film on the dyeing rolls 16-19, so that said material M comes'in direct contact with the rolls and exerts a braking action on them, that may even sufiice to rupture the material M or to stop the machine. Too strong a tension on the material M will produce a like efi'ect. Too weak a tension, on the other hand, results in the material M bellying awa from the rolls 15-21, so that the liquor L wi I tend to coat around said rolls or travel on around inside the material M rather than penetrate the latter. For the best results, therefore, the tension on the material M should be so adjusted or regulated that it will hug the rolls 15-21 rather closely without actually touching them. The tension may be varied and regulated by means of a friction brake comprising a pulley 60 fast to the guide roll 14 or its axis, and a strap 61 over this pulley 60 having one end anchored to the machine frame at 62, with a weight 63 attached to the free end of said strap. The

strap 61 can be arranged on the pulley 60 to pull either against the weight 63 or against the fixed anchorage at 62, according to the tension desired; and the tension can also be varied and adjusted by changing the weight 63.

With dyeing rolls 16-19 driven oppositely to the movement of the material M, the end rolls 15 and 21 of said series should be idle guide rolls, because otherwise their long are of contact with the material M would result in a pull so powerful as to rupture dehcate materials. As shown, the number of active dyeing rolls at opposite sides of the material M is the same, so that the liquor acts on the material from both sides equally, and thus dyes them uniformly. Accordingly, the total number of active dyeing rolls is even.

Such an even-numbered set of dyeing rolls 16-19 should have one extra guide roll 20 for example at one end, to direct the material M downward from the adjacent dyeing roll 19 before passing under the final guide roll 21. In Fig. II, arrows indicate the direction of movement of the material M and the corresponding directions of rotation of the various rolls 15-21.

As shown in the drawings, the dye vessel 10 affords a shallow dyeing chamber 11 which conforms to the series of rolls 15-21, as a whole, and has relatively narrow entrance and exit openings or passages 12, 13 for the material M, extending upward from the chamber 11 at either end thereof. The vertical depth and relative narrowness of these passages 12, 13 tend to prevent splashing out of the dye liquor L through them. As here shown, t e extra guide roll 20 is adjacent the exit roll 21, so as to cooperate with it in allay- .ing the more troublesome surging and splas ing tendencies at this end of the dye roll set 15-21. As shown in Fig. II, the upper and lower walls 26, 27 of the chamber 11 are ridged and recessed at 25 to conform rather closely to the individual rolls 15-21, the upper and lower recesses 25, for each roll being concaved concentrically with its surface and with one another, and affording only a rather narrow clearance around the roll. Thus the dyeing chamber 11 is virtually subdivided into a series of laterally intersecting and intercommunicating cylindrical roll-chambers.

- In the narrow clearances around the idle rolls 20, 21, which may amount to 1 inch around 6 inch rolls, for example, and in passing through the run of material M extending between these rolls 20, 21, the surge from the driven rolls (especially the last one 19) is bafiled, quelled and allayed, so that it only causes the liquor L to stand a few inches (3"-4") higher in the outlet 13 than in the inlet 12.

In the present instance, the dye vessel 10 comprises a main open-topped dye receptacle or vat 30 that holds the liquor L and forms the bottom wall of the dyeing chamber 11, with a removable (hollow) insert structure 33 that forms the top wall of the chamber 11, and which cooperates with the ends 31 of the receptacle 30 to form or provide the entrance and exit openings 12, 13. As shown in Fig. III, the insert 33 has lateral flanges 34 which rest on the tops of the receptacle sides 32. The axes 76 of the rolls 15-21 extend out through stufling boxes 35 in the sides 32, and are journaled in outboard bearings 39 (pref erably self-aligning ball bearings) detachably mounted on external ledges or flanges 40 on the sides 32. As shown in Figs. II and III, the receptacle sides 32 have upright slots 37 extending upward from the roll axes 76 and their stufling boxes 35, said slots being ordinarily closed by cover plates 36 detachably secured over them by bolts 38. As shown in Fig. III, the stufiing boxes 35 are located in the lower ends of the plates 36 themselves. Access to the whole series of rolls 15-21, for the purpose of threading material M through the machine, may be had by simply lifting out the insert 33. Thereafter, if desired, any of the rolls 15-21, may be removed by detaching the corresponding plates 36 and bearings 39, and also, in the case of the driven rolls 16-19, freeing the driving connections as hereinafter described.

As shown in the drawings, the main receptacle 30 may be of cast iron, and constructed of marginally flanged bottom and end sections 27 and 31 and side sections 32, bolted together. The lateral flanges 40 are shown as cast integral with the sides 32. The insert 33 is shown as one unitary (iron) casting.

In operation, I prefer to maintain about the level of dye liquor L shown in Fig. II, so as to keep the dyeing chamber 11 always full and the rolls 15-21, completely submerged. To do this, the liquor L in the apparatus must be progressively or periodically replenished, to compensate for that taken up by the material M treated. It however, to diffuse or distribute the supply of liquor as admitted, in order to obviate spotting or streaking by contact of the fresh liquor L with the material M. As here shown, the fresh liquor L is supplied at the end of the dyeing chamber 11 where the material M enters, through transverse ducts 58, 59cast in theupper andlower chamber walls 26, 27 each having a multiplicity of outlets 60 at short intervals across the chamber 11. These ducts 58, 59, are located in the ridges between the roll recesses 25, the duct 58 beis desirable,

tween the rolls 15, 16, and the duct 59 between the rolls 16, 17. In each instance,'the outlets 60 open through the side of the ridge adjacent the roll side:not traversed by the a material M, and discharge in a direction opposite to the travel of the adjacent run of said material between rolls, and diverging away therefrom, so the fresh liquor L may diffuse and mingle with that in the chamber 11 before coming in contact with the material M.

As shown in Figs. I and II, the liquor supply pipe 55 has branches 56, 57 to the ducts 58, 59. The pipe 56 extends up over the top of the receptacle 30 and down inside the insert 33, where it divides and connects with the duct 58 at two widely separated points. The pipe 56 may be flexible (at least in part) to permit removal of the insert 33 without breaking joints. A valve 64 in the supply pipe 55 automatically controls the admission of dye liquor L and maintains a substantially constant liquor level; and, it is actuated by a float 63- in a reservoir 62 that is connected by a stand pipe 61 to the lower portion of the pipe 55, beyond the valve 64. A manual shutoff and regulating valve 65 may also be provided in the pipe 55.

Provision may be made for emptying the apparatus of dye liquor L, when desired, by means of a longitudinal manifold pipe 66 beneath the receptacle 30, with drainage connection 67 to the lowest point in each of the transverse trough-like roll recesses 25, in the bottom 27, under control of a manual stopvalve 68. For the purpose of flushing and scouring the apparatus, water and steam pipes 69, 70 may be connected to the manifold 66, with manual control valves 71, 72.

As shown in Fig. I, the rolls 16-19 may be driven through a transmission 41 comprising bevel gear and pinion connections 45, 46 from a common power shaft 42 to shafts 47 forming extensions of the roll axes 76. The shaft 42 may be driven from any suitable source of power 50, such as an electric motor, through a belt connection 51. The shaft .42 is journaled in bearings 43 on, or in, the transverse end and intermediate walls of a gear box or housing structure 44; with the shafts 47 in bearings 48 on, or in, a longitudinal (side) Wall of said box structure 44. Detachable flexible couplings 49 may be interposed-between the roll axes 76 and the shafts 47, to take care of slight angular or lateral misalignment, as well as to permit any one or more of the rolls 16-19 to be uncoupled and run idle. This latter feature allows the machine to be operated with anywhere from one to four active, driven dyeing rolls 16-19 without the trouble or complication of removing any rolls. As shown, the gear box 44 is in effect a deep trough to hold a bath of lubricant in which the gearing 45, 46 may run wholly or partially immersed. In practice,

a removable cover maybe provided over the gearbox 44, to prevent splashing out of lubricant.

The e vessel 10 and the gear box or transmission ousing 44 rest on a common cast-iron framing 52 comprising a couple of channelshaped sills with integral feet, and may be secured thereto in any suitable manner.

As shown-in Fig. III, the body of each of the rolls 15-21, consists of a length of metal tubing 74 (such as oil-well casing) having in its ends core pieces or heads 75 in which are the gudgeon-like roll axes 76, secured by diametral pins or rivets 77. Each head 7 5 may be secured in the tube 74 by a circum ferential series of rivets 78, and each roll may be balanced around its axis of rotation by suitable lead plugs 79 in equally spaced circularly arranged longitudinal bores 80 in the heads 75. The ends of said roll may be closed fluid-tight by means of cover plates or discs 81 fitted into the tubing 74 and sealed thereto by welding or brazing. The completed roll is preferably nickel-plated to give it a perfectly smooth surface for contact with the material M.

While I have hereinbefore explained my invention as applied to dyeing, yet it can also be adapted and extended to other processes or operations, such as washing, bleaching, etc.

Having thus described my invention, I claim 1. An apparatus of the character described comprising a dye vessel and active dyeing rolls threin at opposite sides of the material treated, there being a substantial speed differential between the material and the surface of said active rolls, and the number of active rollsat the two sides of the material being the same, so as to produce like action of the dye liquor on said sides; and inactive guide rolls in said vessel round which the descending and ascending material passes on its wa to and from said active rolls.

2. n apparatus of the character described comprising a dye vessel and active dyeing rolls therein traversed by the material treated and revolving counter to its travel, the number of such active rolls at the two sides of the material being the same an inactive guide roll round which the descending material passes on its way to said active rolls; and two inactive guide rolls for the material leaving the active rolls.

3. An apparatus of the character described comprising a dye vessel having dyeing rolls therein traversed by the material treated, with a substantial speed differential between the roll surfaces and the material, the number of such rolls at the two sides of the material being the same, a removable hollow insert structure forming a covering for the dye vessel and defining with the end walls entrant and exit passages for the material, and detachable plate members with associated outboard bearings jointly afi'ording 'ournal support for the respective rolls w ereby they may be individually removed.

4. An apparatus of the character described comprising a dye li uor receptacle, and a separate hollow watertight box structure inserted in said receptacle, said structure having lateral flanges seating on the tops of the receptacle sides and forming in its bottom a shallow dyeing chamber, with entrance and exit openings upward from said chamber for the material treated, established by the receptacle and box structure ends.

5. An apparatus of the character described comprising a horizontally extending series of dyeing rolls traversed by the material treated, a receptacle with an insert box structure seating on opposed side walls thereof and affording a shallow closed dyeing chamber around said rolls, with entrance and exit openings established by the receptacle and box structure end walls for passage of the material into and from said chamber, and guide rolls in said chamber adjacent said openings, at either end of the series of dyeing rolls.

6. An apparatus of the character described comprising a dye liquor receptacle, an even number of dyeing rolls in the bottom of said receptacle traversed by the material treated with their axes extending out through vertical slots in the receptacle wall, and-wall sections above said axes engaging in the slots aforesaid and detachable to permit removal of individual rolls.

7 An apparatus of the character described comprising a series of rolls traversed by the material treated, a vessel afi'ording a shallow closed dyeing chamber around said rolls, and ducts in the upper and lower walls of said chamber extending lengthwise of said rolls, with a multiplicity of lateral outlets from said ducts for diffused discharge of dye liquor into the chamber from above and be low the material treated.

- 8. An apparatus of the character described comprising a series of rolls traversed by the material treated, a vessel affording a closed dyeing chamber with upper and lower walls recessed for individual rolls, and longitudin al ducts in the ridges between said recesses with lateral outlets for discharging dye liquor into the recesses.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto signed my name at Philadelphia, Pennsyl- Vania, this 17 day of December, 1927.

JOHN MACADAM, JR. 

